Govt decides to deallocate Gourangdih ABC decide fate of six more

The Government has decided to deallocate one more mine - Gourangdih ABC-- jointly given to JSW Steel and Himachal EMTA besides deduction of bank guarantees of two allottees for failing to develop mines within time.

This follows the recommendation made by Inter-Ministerial group (IMG) which is scrutinising 29 blocks awarded to the private parties out of the total 58 which were given show cause notices for delays in development and some of these find mention in CAG report.

With this, the government has approved cancellation of licenses of five coal blocks, out of a total seven recommended by the IMG so far.

"I have approved the IMG's recommendations given on Friday and will take a call on others," Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal said ahead of the meeting of the panel, scheduled Monday afternoon.

The IMG, on Friday had recommended deallocation of the Gourangdih ABC mine, given jointly to JSW Steel and Himachal EMTA, in 2009.

The block has 61.54 million tonnes (MT) of extractable reserves and the coal from the mine was meant to be used for a power project.

The block finds mention in the CAG report as well. The government auditor had said the allottees of the block, located in West Bengal, might have accrued undue benefit to the tune of Rs 1,818 crore.

Earlier, on 13^th September, the government had decided to de-allocate four blocks - Bramhadih Block in Jharkhand allocated to Castron Mining Ltd in 1996, Chinora and Warora (southern part) blocks in Maharashtra given to Fieldmining and Ispat Ltd in 2003, Lalgarh (North) block in Jharkhand allotted to DOMCO Smokeless Fuels Pvt Ltd in 2005.

It had also accepted the IMG recommendations to deduct Bank Guarantee (BG) in case of Marki Mangli-II, III and IV Blocks in Maharashtra allocated to private player Shri Virangana Steels besides asking Monnet Ispat & Energy to submit BG for Utkal B2 Block in Odisha allocated it.

IMG may decide fate of six more coal blocks today

The Inter Ministerial Group (IMG) on coal blocks will meet on Monday to decide the fate of six more mines allocated to private firms that were issued notices for delaying production.

"The IMG may decide the fate of around six coal blocks in its next meeting scheduled for tomorrow," an official in the Coal Ministry said on Sunday.

Coal Scam: CBI questions Arvind Jayaswal

The CBI on Monday questioned Arvind Jayaswal, Director AMR Iron and Steel Private Limited, in connection with alleged irregularities in allocation of Bander Coal block in Maharashtra to the company.

Jayaswal has been named by the agency in its FIR in which it alleged that the company concealed and misrepresented facts that its group firms were already been allocated coal blocks and that it was financially eligible to get the block.

The agency is likely to call for questioning other directors of the company including his brother Manoj and son of Congress MP Vijay Darda, Devendra who are also accused in the case against the company, CBI sources said.